Passive-type treadmill

ABSTRACT

A passive-type treadmill is disclosed which includes a closed-loop belt rolling around two spaced apart rollers for providing a running platform, a first and a second handrail parallel to each other and extended upward angling to a surface of the closed-loop belt at larger than 45 degrees, and a towel rack having at least a first and a second clip for stretching a towel between the first and the second handrail.

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates generally to a physical exerciseapparatus, and, more particularly, to a passive-type treadmill.

Treadmills are widely utilized for performing vigorous exercise indoorsand at a stationary position. Such treadmills typically include anelongated closed-loop belt driven by rollers and supported by anunderlying rigid deck. The rollers are often driven by an electricmotor, typically at an adjustable speed. However, such motorizedtreadmills are often noisy as a runner pounds the running deck, and canbe dangerous if the runner lost a step. What desired is a treadmill thatis both quiet and safe.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a side-view of a passive-type treadmill according to anembodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a passive-type treadmill according to anembodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 illustrates a towel rack structure for the treadmill of thepresent disclosure.

FIG. 4 illustrates a load control structure for the treadmill of thepresent disclosure.

The drawings accompanying and forming part of this specification areincluded to depict certain aspects of the invention. A clearerconception of the invention, and of the components and operation ofsystems provided with the invention, will become more readily apparentby referring to the exemplary, and therefore non-limiting, embodimentsillustrated in the drawings, wherein like reference numbers (if theyoccur in more than one view) designate the same elements. The inventionmay be better understood by reference to one or more of these drawingsin combination with the description presented herein.

DESCRIPTION

The present disclosure relates to a passive-type treadmill. A preferredembodiment of the present disclosure will be described hereinafter withreference to the attached drawings.

FIG. 1 is a side-view of a passive-type treadmill 110 according to anembodiment of the present disclosure. A person 102 walks on platform 122leaning slightly forward supporting his upper body with his hands on ahandrail 142. The platform 122 is covered by a closed-loop belt rollsaround two spaced apart rollers 125 and 128. The belt is supported by asubstantially rigid deck (not shown). According to embodiments of thepresent disclosure, the rollers 125 and 128 is not motorized, so thatthe person 102 uses his feet to push the belt backward for exercisepurposes.

As shown in FIG. 1, the platform 122 is mounted to a frame 115. Asupport member 132 for the handrail 142 is also mounted to the frame115. The connections between the support member 132 and the frame 115 aswell as the handrail 142 are substantially rigid. As shown in FIG. 1,the handrail has two sections 142 and 145. The handrail section 145 isrelatively horizontal oriented compared to the handrail section 142. Thereason for the handrail section 142's more upright orientation isbecause the person 102 pushes against the handrail section 142 duringexercise, so that the closed-loop belt can roll clockwise referring toFIG. 1. In embodiments, an angle between the handrail section 142 and asurface of the platform 122, Φ, is larger than 45 degrees and preferablyabout 60 degrees.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a passive-type treadmill according to anembodiment of the present disclosure. A running or walking platform 222is mounted to frames 215 and 217, which are rigidly connected to supportmembers 232 and 234. The support members 232 and 234 are extended toupright handrails 242 and 244, respectively. The handrails 242 and 244are connected by a horizontal bar 251. As users of the treadmill mayhave different height, and the same user may want to switch handpositions, the treadmill of the present disclosure also provideshorizontal handles 262 connected between the handrail 242 and a handrail254. The handrail 254 is substantially parallel to the handrail 242 andan end of the handrail 254 is connected to the horizontal bar 251.Similarly, horizontal handles 264 are connected between the handrail 244and a handrail 258. The handrail 258 is substantially parallel to thehandrail 244, and an end of the handrail 258 is also connected to thehorizontal bar 251. There is a gap between the handrails 254 and 258, sothat a treadmill user's frontal view will not be blocked. Inembodiments, the support members 232 and 234, the handrails 242, 244,254 and 258, the horizontal bar 251 and the handles 262 and 264 are madeof steels and connected by welding.

Referring again to FIG. 2, the treadmill of the present disclosure alsoprovides rods 272 and 274 for stretching out a towel 277 in front of auser (not shown) to catch sweat. Providing the towel 277 is advantageousbecause the user may have to use both hands to hold onto the handles 262and 264, and it will not be easy for the user to use a hand to wipe offsweat during exercise.

FIG. 3 illustrates a towel rack structure for the treadmill of thepresent disclosure. The towel rack structure includes a rod 272 insertedin a hole 315 through a mounting member 312. The rod 272 canfrictionally slide in and out of the hole 315 to accommodate differenttowel sizes. The mounting member 312 is attached to the support member232. In embodiments, the mounting member 312 can pivot around a pin 325,and be locked at a certain position. As a result, the rod 272 can beheld at a substantially horizontal position during an exercise session,and be held at a substantially vertical position when the treadmill isnot used. In an embodiment, the pin 325 has threads in one end for beingscrewed into the support member 232.

Referring again to FIG. 3, a clip 342 is provided on the support member232 near the mounting member 312, and another clip 352 is provided to anear end of the rod 272. The clip 342 is exemplarily attached to thesupport member 232 by a rivet 345. The clip 352 is exemplarily attachedto the rod 272 by a rivet 355. Alternatively, the clip 342 can beattached to a far end of the rod 272 instead. The clips 342 and 345 canbe used to secure a towel to the rod 272.

FIG. 4 illustrates a load control structure for the treadmill of thepresent disclosure. A part of a closed-loop belt 402 is shown around theroller 125. The belt 402 frictionally engages the roller 125, i.e., whena top portion of the belt 402 moves backward under the push from a user,the roller 125 rotates around a shaft 415 in a clockwise direction. Theshaft 415 engages a load control device 435 through a taut cable 422, sothat the load control device 435 can apply variable load to the belt402. As shown in FIG. 4, with the use of the taut cable 422, the loadcontrol device 435 can be mounted higher than the roller 125, which canthen be mounted as close to the ground 400 as possible. In embodiments,a gap between a lower portion of the belt 402 and the ground can bemaintained at approximately 10 millimeters.

Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodiedin one or more specific examples, it is nevertheless not intended to belimited to the details shown, since various modifications and structuralchanges may be made therein without departing from the spirit of theinvention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.Accordingly, it is appropriate that the appended claims be construedbroadly and in a manner consistent with the scope of the invention, asset forth in the following claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A passive-type treadmill comprising: aclosed-loop belt rolling around two spaced apart rollers for providing arunning platform; a first and a second handrail parallel to each otherand extended upward angling to a surface of the closed-loop belt atlarger than 45 degrees; and a towel rack having at least a first and asecond clip for stretching a towel between the first and the secondhandrail.
 2. The passive-type treadmill of claim 1 further comprising asubstantially horizontal crossbar connected between the first and thesecond handrail.
 3. The passive-type treadmill of claim 2 furthercomprising at least one substantially horizontal first handle protrudingfrom the first handrail and at least one substantially horizontal secondhandle protruding from the second handrail, the first and second handlebeing spaced apart.
 4. The passive-type treadmill of claim 3 furthercomprising a third handrail connected between the first handle and thecrossbar, the third handrail being substantially parallel to the firsthandrail, and a fourth handrail connected between the second handle andthe crossbar, the fourth handrail being substantially parallel to thesecond handrail.
 5. The passive-type treadmill of claim 1, wherein thefirst clip is attached to the first handrail and the second clip isattached to the second handrail.
 6. The passive-type treadmill of claim1, wherein the towel rack includes a first rod slidably engaging thefirst handrail, and a second rod slidably engaging the second handrail.7. The passive-type treadmill of claim 6 further comprising a third clipattached to the first rod and a fourth clip attached to the second rod.8. The passive-type treadmill of claim 1 further comprising a loadcontrol device coupled to one of the rollers.
 9. The passive-typetreadmill of claim 8, wherein the load control device is positionedabove a bottom surface of the closed-loop belt.
 10. The passive-typetreadmill of claim 8, wherein the load control device operates in aprinciple selected from the group consisting of wind, magnet andfriction.
 11. A passive-type treadmill comprising: a closed-loop beltrolling around two spaced apart rollers for providing a runningplatform; a first and a second handrail parallel to each other andextended upward angling to a surface of the closed-loop belt at largerthan 45 degrees; at least one substantially horizontal first handleprotruding from the first handrail; at least one substantiallyhorizontal second handle protruding from the second handrail, the firstand second handle being spaced apart; and a towel rack having at least afirst and a second clip for stretching a towel between the first and thesecond handrail.
 12. The passive-type treadmill of claim 11 furthercomprising a substantially horizontal crossbar connected between thefirst and the second handrail.
 13. The passive-type treadmill of claim12 further comprising a third handrail connected between the firsthandle and the crossbar, the third handrail being substantially parallelto the first handrail, and a fourth handrail connected between thesecond handle and the crossbar, the fourth handrail being substantiallyparallel to the second handrail.
 14. The passive-type treadmill of claim11, wherein the first clip is attached to the first handrail and thesecond clip is attached to the second handrail.
 15. The passive-typetreadmill of claim 11, wherein the towel rack includes a first rodslidably engaging the first handrail, and a second rod slidably engagingthe second handrail.
 16. The passive-type treadmill of claim 15 furthercomprising a third clip attached to the first rod and a fourth clipattached to the second rod.
 17. The passive-type treadmill of claim 11further comprising a load control device coupled to one of the rollers.18. The passive-type treadmill of claim 8, wherein the load controldevice is positioned above a bottom surface of the closed-loop belt. 19.The passive-type treadmill of claim 17, wherein the load control deviceoperates in a principle selected from the group consisting of wind,magnet and friction.